Newman not worried over CMC review

LIBERAL National Party (LNP) leader Campbell Newman says he's not worried about a corruption probe into donations to his re-election war chest.

AAPMarch 14, 201210:47am

LIBERAL National Party (LNP) leader Campbell Newman says he's not worried about a corruption probe into donations to his re-election war chest.

The Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) is looking at developer contributions to Mr Newman in his former life as Brisbane's lord mayor.

"I haven't had a call from them, neither has the LNP, I haven't got an email, letter, nothing," Mr Newman told Fairfax Radio today.

"If there was something serious I'm sure we would have heard about it by now."

The CMC told AAP it began the review on February 29 independently of a reference from any political party.

It is examining $70,000 in donations to Mr Newman's mayoral re-election fund for evidence of official misconduct.

The donations, made under seven different company names linked to developer Philip Usher, were made just weeks before the Newman-led council approved a controversial development in Brisbane's south.

Mr Newman said it was part of a prolonged smear campaign from Labor.

He seized on Premier Anna Bligh's admission yesterday that she hadn't referred the matter to the CMC herself.

"All the Labor party has is questions, innuendo, smear," he said.

"The whole Labor campaign is basically based on a lie and it all came falling down, crashing down yesterday."

He said none of the allegations thrown at him by the party were true, such as overseeing the rezoning of family land in Brisbane, and not disclosing luxury apartments when mayor.

"There has been no impropriety, no illegality," he said.

"I probably could sue them (Labor), but I'm not a sook.

"I just ask Queenslanders to see it for what it is.

"None of this stands up at all."

Ms Bligh said at Barcaldine Mr Newman was now the subject of three different CMC probes.

Another was referred by Lord Mayor Graham Quirk involving a decision to approve a development for his own fundraiser, and the third was in relation to a land deal at Tennyson that began while Mr Newman was lord mayor.